United Biscuits drive powered on waste oil

United Biscuits is to power 12 of its lorry fleet with waste cooking oil as part of a sustainability drive.

A by-product from its manufacturing process, the waste oil is processed into Ultra BioFuel and used by the adapted lorry fleet. It expects to recycle 500 tonnes of waste cooking oil per annum.

Rob Wright, head of distribution at United Biscuits, said: “It is estimated the UK generates 250 million litres of waste oils a year, and we are delighted to be able to demonstrate a sustainable use for this waste material with potential to deliver significant CO2 savings from transport within the UK.”

United Biscuits has worked alongside Convert2Green to develop engine modification across its lorry fleet that allows vehicles to be fuelled entirely by waste oils.

The partnership began in 2011 following two years of initial investigations by United Biscuits into alternative fuels. In addition, ten tractor units used nationwide are use a new biofuel vehicle management system from German firm Bioltec.

“The benefits of recycling waste cooking oil from our food factories into Ultra Biofuel is another step along United Biscuits’ green journey, which has already seen us make significant gains in reducing carbon emissions across our logistics business,” said Wright.

As part of the project, a 30,000-litre heated refuelling station has been installed at the firm’s Ashby depot. United Biscuits intends to roll the project out across the business, recently converting two of its new Euro VI vehicles to run on Ultra BioFuel.

The project forms part of the firm’s Fewer and Friendlier Miles campaign launched in 2006, which has removed 20 million truck miles from UK roads. This campaign has resulted in a 40 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions since its inception.